Saving Seafood

Over 800 Seafood Industry Members Write to Oppose the Fisheries Provisions of the House Democrats’ Climate Bill

November 16, 2020 — Over 800 participants in our nation’s seafood economy wrote today to Chairman Raúl Grijalva of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Natural Resources to express deep concern regarding Title II of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act, recently introduced by the committee Democrats. The signers of the letter argue that the bill would undermine our nation’s world-class system of fisheries management, harming fishermen and the coastal communities they sustain. They urged the chairman to fundamentally rethink Title II’s provisions.

Of particular concern is the bill’s mandate that would compel the Executive Branch to establish Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that prohibit all commercial fishing activity across at least 30 percent of the nation’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) by 2030.  The proposal is known by the slogan “30 by 30”.

The House Natural Resources Committee plans a hearing tomorrow to cover this bill, among several others.

The letter was organized by the At-sea Processors Association, the National Fisheries Institute, Saving Seafood, and the Seafood Harvesters of America.

“United States fisheries management is the envy of the world. Science-based management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act is a remarkable example of bipartisan policy success. It is achieving exceptional environmental outcomes, preserving vital cultural traditions, creating jobs in communities across the United States, and delivering food with one of the lowest carbon footprints of any protein on Earth. Title II of the Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act will jeopardize that remarkable record of success.”
— Matt Tinning, Director of Sustainability and Public Affairs at the At-sea Processors Association

“The over 800 signers of this letter hail from different regions and participate in different parts of the seafood supply chain. However, we are all united in our commitment to using defensible, quality science to ensure that our nation’s fisheries are harvested sustainably for the benefit of this and future generations. ‘30 by 30’ is a campaign slogan, not a scientific proposal. The legislation would undermine the Magnuson-Stevens Act and its fundamental principle of using the best available scientific information to inform our fisheries management decisions.”
— Robert B. Vanasse, Executive Director of Saving Seafood

“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is among the world’s very best fishery managers.  This bill appears to ignore that expertise and process and just walls off parts of the ocean to fishing. It disregards generations of science-based work and community consensus. Drawing arbitrary lines on a map is not science, it’s politics. Lines on a map don’t actually promote sustainability but they can harm livelihoods that depend on real sustainability work.”
— John Connelly, President of the National Fisheries Institute

“High-value benthic habitat, such as deep-sea corals, are important parts of the marine ecosystem and worthy of science-based protection.  The current system is working to deliver exactly those protections to hundreds of thousands of square miles of sensitive habitat through the Regional Fishery Management Council process. We should build on what is working, not create a new, parallel process.”
— Leigh Habegger, Executive Director of Seafood Harvesters of America

Read the full letter here

National Fisheries Institute Statement on EU Parliament Removing Tariffs on US Lobster

November 11, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) welcomes today’s announcement that lawmakers in the European Parliament’s trade committee have voted in favor of removing tariffs on U.S. lobster and encourage the full Parliament to back the deal when they vote.

The duties on live and frozen U.S. lobster shipped to the EU had been between 8 and 20 percent, but as part of a mini trade deal announced by the Trump Administration in August, the rate will drop to zero.  The deal passed in the Parliament committee with 40 votes in favor and 2 against, illustrating the overwhelming interest of the EU in opening the market to delicious, sustainable American lobster.

The pandemic has wreaked havoc on the entire seafood supply chain, including U.S. lobster, so this trade triumph could not come at a more pivotal time. It will directly help the men and women on the water, in the processing plants, and the folks who play a role in the distribution and logistics that get lobsters from our waters to dinner tables in the EU.

NFI applauds President Trump and Ambassador Lighthizer for focusing on U.S. seafood exports. We also commend Senator Susan Collins on her steadfast advocacy for the U.S. seafood community.

National Fisheries Institute Statement on the EU’s Retaliatory Seafood Tariffs

November 9, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

Today’s news that the European Union will place tariffs on about $20 million worth of annual United States seafood exports to the EU is disappointing. The seafood communities in the U.S. and EU have long enjoyed a trade relationship that has created tens of thousands of jobs and, most recently, been poised to expand.

It makes no sense that a World Trade Organization dispute about planes that fly 40,000 feet above where fish swim should include seafood.  Now, given missteps by both sides, American workers and families will suffer.

The new tariffs come at a time when the seafood industry in both the U.S. and EU are focused on rebuilding and reopening. Such trade barriers distract from this important economic recovery.

National Fisheries Institute Statement on Seafood Expo North America 2021

November 2, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

For years, the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) and its members have seen Diversified Communications’ dedication to educating, connecting, and growing the seafood industry on display at Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America and its many events around the globe. This year has shined a spotlight on another Diversified Communications commitment: the health and safety of its employees, vendors, and customers.

Earlier this year Diversified made the difficult decision to reschedule and then cancel the 2020 edition of Seafood Expo North America. The 2021 version was planned for March.

Once again illustrating its commitment to meet the seafood community’s needs while prioritizing the health and safety of all Seafood Expo North America/ Seafood Processing North America attendees, Diversified has announced the 2021 event will be held later in the year.

NFI and our member companies appreciate Diversified’s responsiveness, flexibility and innovation during these unprecedented times. We are all looking forward to gathering and supporting Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America in 2021 when it is safe to do so.

US Trade Commission hears testimony on CETA’s impact on US lobster exports

October 1, 2020 — The U.S. International Trade Commission heard testimony Thursday, 1 October, on the effect the trade agreement between Canada and the European Union has had on America’s lobster industry.

The Canada-E.U. pact, known as the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA), has had a detrimental effect on U.S. lobstermen and exporters since it took effect three years ago, according to Robert DeHaan, the vice president for government affairs for the National Fisheries Institute. DeHaan said the deal meant U.S. exporters faced 8 percent tariffs on live lobsters and up to 20 percent on value-added products while their Canadian counterparts paid no levies on the same products, providing them with a significant competitive advantage.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

Kim Gorton calls on Congress to pass another stimulus for small businesses in seafood, foodservice

September 30, 2020 — Bad debt is plaguing the U.S. seafood industry, and the only cure is another federal stimulus package. That was the message Kim Gorton delivered Wednesday, 30 September, to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business.

Gorton, the president and CEO of Slade Gorton and a board member of the National Fisheries Institute, the U.S. seafood industry’s primary trade body, told the panel seafood industry businesses like her family’s have a combined USD 2.2 billion (EUR 1.9 billion) in bad debt and other foodservice companies carry about USD 10 billion (EUR 8.53 billion) in bad debt.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

National Fisheries Institute Statement on SIMP-Compliant Importers List

September 22, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

NOAA Fisheries has announced a new Seafood Import Monitoring Program component designed to highlight “Compliant Importers” and reduce the frequency of their audits. The SIMP-Compliant Importers List will be posted beginning in October of 2020.

NFI recognizes and appreciates efforts to improve efficiencies by reducing audits. Decreasing the number of audits for qualified importers, who maintain the detailed recordkeeping requirements of SIMP, is a more effective use of government resources and will hopefully reduce the burden on taxpayers.

NFI encourages NOAA to work on more efforts to streamline SIMP and reduce costs that are ultimately paid by consumers.

National Fisheries Institute Statement on FDA Food Traceability Proposed Rule

September 22, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released its proposed rule for traceability and recordkeeping, along with a draft “Food Traceability List” that catalogues which products would be subject to the requirements.

The National Fisheries Institute (NFI) supports efforts to both modernize and advance food safety. The seafood community has been at the forefront of efforts to safeguard our safe and wholesome products as an early adapter of the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system. This year, as the FDA moves towards an evolution in traceability, NFI’s members have proactively explored technologically enabled traceability through a Blockchain pilot to test its viability in a real seafood value chain.

We are currently reviewing the proposed rule and draft “Food Traceability List.” And as with any new regulatory structure, we are interested in ensuring there are no duplicative systems that would complicate the new traceability parameters.

An initial review of the draft “Food Traceability List,” from a seafood perspective, suggests a “one size fits all” approach; which may not be warranted. Just like with HACCP and other modern food safety efforts, a focus on a few critical points or products is a better use of energy and resources.

We are hopeful this proposal will help begin an orderly process that integrates modern supply chain traceability systems within a technologically advanced regulatory structure.

Seafood Industry Research Fund Announces the Ed Morey Memorial Fund

September 21, 2020 — The following was released by the National Fisheries Institute:

The Seafood Industry Research Fund (SIRF) Board of Directors has unanimously approved the formation of the Ed Morey, Founder, Morey’s Fish Company, Memorial Fund.

Ed Morey founded Morey’s Fish Company in 1937. Ed was a logger, farmer and baker who traded a load of sweetcorn for a load of seafood from a fisherman whose truck broke down in Ed’s hometown of Motley, Minnesota. As they say, the rest is history. In 1964, Morey’s became a true family business when Ed’s son, Loren, joined the operation. With Ed and Loren’s leadership, the business continued to expand and today Morey’s frozen and smoked fish and seafood can be found in retail stores and on dinner tables across the U.S.

Loren Morey served as the National Fisheries Institute (NFI) Chairman in 1985 and remained active in guiding NFI for many years. Loren chose to name it solely after his father, but with this new fund SIRF hopes to acknowledge the contributions of both Ed and Loren Morey and all they have done for NFI, SIRF, families in Motley, Minnesota, and the seafood industry broadly.

“Ed Morey’s history is a fascinating tale of hard work, innovation, and foresight,” said SIRF Chairman, Sean O’Scannlain, President and CEO of Fortune International. “Ed put seafood on the Midwest map, paving the way for companies like mine, also based far from any U.S. coastline.”

Loren generously donated $60,000 to the fund, and SIRF has already received interest from others to support the fund as well.

“Loren, like his father so often did, is looking to the future with a fund that will benefit the seafood community for years to come. Their generosity is a testament to the company and the family,” said O’Scannlain.

SIRF started as the Lewis Goldstein Memorial Fund in 1964, grew into the Fisheries Scholarship Fund during the 1980s and became the Seafood Industry Research Fund in 2012. 56 years and more than 50 funds later, this important research support mechanism is proud to welcome the Ed Morey Memorial Fund.

To find out how you can contribute, please email Geraldine Espejo gespejo@NFI.org.